Sunday, April 25, 2010



Exciting news! Bridging the Gap will be featured on 11 Alive News, here in Atlanta, this upcoming week. Stay tuned for details...



In Christ,

Ministry Assisting 450 People

Original article published on November 24, 2009.

We've come a long way since then! Praises be to God!


Ministry assisting 450 people
By Winston Skinner

The Times-Herald

One morning last week, Alison Wallace was parked in the Bridging the Gap van behind the Food Lion on U.S 29 in Newnan.

Cars pulled up and left -- taking food to hungry people in various locations throughout the area. The ministry started by Wallace earlier this fall gets food that could otherwise be tossed away into the hands, kitchens and stomachs of people who need it.

"There is no need for hunger in Coweta County. This is a flowing river of food," she commented.


Wallace, a gospel singer who has worked with other efforts to help Cowetans in the past, started Bridging the Gap on Sept. 17 with Lee Lewis and Robin Fetrat. The project, she said, was "something I was being called to do."

Wallace had figured out grocery stores have to pull items from their shelves as they near an expiration date. Many of those items -- bread, produce and meat -- still have value as food but cannot be sold. Wallace also figured out there were groups all across Coweta County that had food pantries, food banks or programs that fed people or distributed food to people who needed it one or more days each week.

"It all fell into place. It's remarkable," Wallace said.

Wallace quickly put together a network of volunteers, churches and organizations. Most pick up the food from Wallace. Volunteers at Royal Baptist Church have helped sort and process perishables, and a large group from Evans Middle School assembled canned goods into packages that can supplement the bread, meat and produce.

Wallace said managers at the two Coweta County Food Lion stores on U.S. 29 and at Sargent have been willing to share "anything that was about to go out of date." As a result, Wallace said, "Bridging the Gap is now feeding 450 people per week for free -- with food that would have been thrown away."

Wallace emphasized the organization does not directly feed people. Rather BTG is the conduit that gets food from grocers and other sources to organizations who can get it where it needs to go.

"There are so many churches and there are so many food pantries now that are operating," Wallace said. There are 14 organizations that regularly receive food currently from BTG, and other groups have gotten food from Wallace on occasion.

"I am now up to two trucks. One's a dual axle truck," she said. BTG also has two freezers to keep meat and other items that can be frozen until needed.

In addition to providing perishables, Food Lion is using BTG to distribute the "Feed America" boxes purchased by shoppers for $5 which provide staples for two days for two adults. Food collected during ShareFest, a recent event sponsored by churches throughout the county, is also going to BTG.

Anyone interested in helping with BTG -- or willing to distribute food -- should contact Wallace at apowderwallace@hotmail.com. Contributions to help with the effort can be sent to Bridging the Gap, P.O. Box 223, Newnan, GA 30264.

Wallace feels God called her to start Bridging the Gap, and she said she sees God's hand at work in how the program has grown. When she was donated 4,000 boxes of food, she had nowhere to put it. As she pondered her dilemma, a telephone call came from someone offering immediate use of a 24-foot trailer.

"It is definitely a God thing," she said. "There couldn't be any other way."

In His grace,

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Yard Sale at Royal Baptist

Many have asked how they can help Bridging the Gap. Here is a great way! On Saturday, May 1st we will be having a yard sale at Royal Baptist Church in Newnan, GA from 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. to benefit Bridging the Gap. If you'd like to donate items or volunteer PLEASE contact Alison on facebook or at btgministry@gmail.com. We can collect all week and store items in our storage unit. Thank you for all that you do in advance.



In His grace,